Pack for preparing foamed food or beverage products

ABSTRACT

The invention refers to a pack (100) for preparing a food or beverage product from one or more food or beverage ingredients comprising an insert (10) and a container (20) where the ingredient or ingredients are stored, the insert (10) comprising a fluid inlet (110) configured for introducing an aqueous fluid under the form of a jet (50) in the inner volume of the pack, and the insert (10) further comprising an air inlet (150) communicating with the exterior of the pack (100) and configured for introducing air in the inner volume of the pack (100). The invention further refers to the use of a pack (100) as described for preparing a food or beverage product.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pack for preparing a foamed food orbeverage product from one or more food or beverage ingredients. Inparticular, the invention relates to a pack comprising an insert throughand a container where the ingredient or ingredients are stored.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Preparing beverages by introducing a capsule containing a food orbeverage ingredient, such as ground coffee or instant coffee, in abeverage dispensing machine and injecting water into the capsule isknown in the state of the art: the beverage or food ingredient istypically extracted or dissolved into water to form the beverage or thedesired final product, which flows out of the capsule through a suitableoutlet.

As such, different capsules have been developed in the past, thesecapsules being at least differentiated by the nature of the capsule bodyused for storing the food or the beverage ingredient. While most of thecapsules are made of a rigid body or semi-rigid body, typically madethrough injection moulding or thermoforming, flexible types of packs canbe made out of foil materials. Flexible packs have generally theadvantage to semi-rigid and rigid capsules that less amount of materialis used to pack the product which leads to overall less production cost,to lower life cycle impact shown in several life-cycle assessments andto advantages on the part of the user, who will need less availablespace for storing these packs, as they are more compact.

It is known in the state of the art, for example as per document WO99/05044, a flexible beverage-producing sachet comprising a beverageingredient in a volume formed by bonding two laminates at their edges,having a base seam into which a conduit of rigid plastics is bonded. Aninlet nozzle is provided at the top of the resulting sachet forintroducing water that is mixed with the beverage or food ingredientinside the inner volume of the sachet, the beverage produced being thenevacuated through a beverage outlet arranged at the bottom of the pack,where closing means are provided, such that the closing means areadapted to open under pressure when pressurized water is introduced intothe sachet, allowing the beverage to evacuate through the beverageoutlet.

Other arrangements of flexible beverage-producing sachets are also knownin the state of the art. However, in these flexible sachets, whenfoaming of the food or beverage product is desired, an internal freespace (free of food or beverage product, known as headspace), filledwith air, is needed in order to obtain a foam when water is mixed withthe food or beverage ingredient inside the inner volume of the sachet.Therefore, for a good foaming of the beverage or food product delivered,it is necessary to have high volumes of sachets where only some part ofthem is filled with the ingredients and the rest is just filled withair. The cost of these sachets is therefore higher, they are more bulkyand require more volume for storing, and also the devices to which theyare connected for preparing the final products are consequently biggerand more expensive.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a flexiblepack having a minimized headspace volume and that is able to provide atthe same time a very good quality foaming of the food or beverageproduct delivered.

The present invention comes to provide a solution to the above-describedneed, as it will be further explained. The invention also aims at otherobjects and particularly at the solution of other problems as willappear in the rest of the present description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a pack forpreparing a food or beverage product from one or more food or beverageingredients comprising an insert and a container where the ingredient oringredients are stored: the insert comprises a fluid inlet configuredfor introducing an aqueous fluid under the form of a jet in the innervolume of the pack, and the insert further comprises an air inletcommunicating with the exterior of the pack and configured forintroducing air in the inner volume of the pack.

Preferably, in the pack of the invention, the air inlet is connected toan aspiration inlet through which the jet enters the inner volume of thepack, configured in such a way that air is aspirated through the airinlet when the jet is introduced inside the pack.

According to another embodiment of the pack of the invention, the airinlet is typically connected to an aspiration inlet through which thejet enters the inner volume of the pack: the air inlet is connectable toexternal means actively injecting air in the inner volume of the pack.

Typically, the fluid inlet is configured for transforming thepressurized fluid introduced by a beverage machine into a high velocityfluid jet in the inner volume of the pack. Preferably, the fluid inletcommunicates with a nozzle having a very restricted diameter withrespect to the fluid inlet.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pack comprisestwo flexible water impermeable sheets joined to one another to definethe inner volume of the pack.

The pack of the invention typically comprises a beverage outlet throughwhich the beverage is delivered as a free flow. The beverage outlet ispreferably a straight tube oriented essentially vertically at the bottomof the pack.

In the pack of the invention, the insert is preferably arranged on oneof the sides of the pack and it comprises the fluid inlet, the air inletand the beverage outlet.

Typically, the container is configured to open in a certain pre-definedarea to allow dispensing of the food or beverage prepared.

In the pack according to the present invention, the relative positioningof the aspiration inlet with respect to the air inlet, together with thediameter of the air inlet, typically define the level of foaming of thefood or beverage prepared.

Preferably, the diameter of the nozzle and/or of the aspiration inletdefine the design of the jet in the inner volume of the pack.

Typically, the food or beverage ingredient is a soluble food or beverageingredient.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container is configured as asachet, a capsule or the like.

Preferably, the pack of the invention is configured in such a way thatthe fluid inlet can be accessed frontally and/or by the rear tointroduce an aqueous fluid through one or the two sides.

In the pack of the invention, the air inlet obturation can be typicallyregulated in order to control the quantity of air injected.

The pack of the invention typically presents a plane shape orientedalong a plane essentially vertically oriented during beverage productionand the fluid inlet orientates the jet of fluid in a direction comprisedin said plane.

According to a second aspect, the invention further relates to the useof a pack as described for preparing a food or beverage product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, advantages and objects of the present invention willbecome apparent for a skilled person when reading the following detaileddescription of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, whentaken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1a-b show a pack for preparing foamed food or beverage productsaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of an insert having an air inlet,configuring together with a container a pack for preparing foamed foodor beverage products according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of an insert having an air inlet,configuring together with a container a pack for preparing foamed foodor beverage products according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows a detailed frontal view of an insert according to FIG. 2 or3, configuring together with a container a pack for preparing foamedfood or beverage products according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a view according to section A-A of the insert of FIG. 4,configuring together with a container a pack for preparing foamed foodor beverage products according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a pack 100 forpreparing a food or beverage product from one or more food or beverageingredients. As represented in FIGS. 1a or 1 b, the pack of theinvention comprises an insert 10 and a container 20. The container 20comprises in its inner volume the food or beverage ingredient(s),typically a soluble powder that will be dissolved by a fluid introducedinside the volume of the container through the insert 10. Typically, thefluid introduced through the insert 10 will be a liquid, preferablywater.

According to the present invention the food or beverage ingredient ofthe container can be comprised within the list of: soups, fruit juices,vegetable juices, bouillons, coffee, chocolate, tea, milk or creamer,smoothies, purees, coulis, creams or a combination thereof. The food orbeverage ingredient can be a soluble food or beverage ingredient.Preferably the food or beverage ingredient is a soluble food or beverageingredient selected in the list of:

-   -   instant coffee powder, milk powder, cream powder, instant tea        powder, cocoa powder, soup powder, fruit powder or mixture of        said powders,    -   a coffee concentrate, a milk concentrate, a syrup, a fruit or        vegetable concentrate, a tea concentrate, a fruit or vegetable        puree.

The powders can be agglomerated or sintered. The powders or liquidconcentrates can be mixed with solid pieces for example for preparingsoups with solid pieces. The food or beverage ingredient can also be aninfusible food or beverage ingredient like a roast and ground coffee ortea leaves. In that embodiment water extracts the infusible ingredient.

In the present invention fluid covers any aqueous diluent that can bemixed with a soluble beverage ingredient to prepare a beverage, likewater, carbonated water, milk, etc. However, according to the invention,water is the preferred fluid which will be used.

The insert 10 comprises a fluid inlet 110 receiving a liquid, typicallywater, which is injected at a pressure higher than 2 bars, morepreferably higher than 3 bars, preferably comprised between 2 and 10bars, more preferably of around 7 bars. The fluid inlet 110 isconfigured in such a way that the high pressure fluid injected throughit by external means (not shown) is converted into a high velocity jet50 in the inner volume of the container 20. This is done thanks to therestriction in diameter of the fluid inlet 110, communicating with theinner volume of the container 20 through a nozzle 120 of a much reduceddiameter, allowing the transformation of a high pressure jet into a highvelocity jet. The fluid inlet 110 is communicated with the inside volumeof the container through at least one nozzle 120, having a diameter ofat most 1 mm, preferably of at least 0.24 mm, preferably comprisedbetween 0.3 mm and 1 mm, preferably between 0.3 and 0.5 mm, morepreferably of about 0.4 mm. With such a configuration, when highpressure fluid is injected by external injecting means through the fluidinlet 110, it is conveyed internally towards the nozzle 120, from whichit is converted into a high velocity jet of fluid 50 injected inside thecontainer 20 when passing through the small section nozzle hole.Typically, this jet of fluid 50 provided in the container has a velocityof at least 20 m/s.

Furthermore, the insert 10 further comprises an air inlet 150communicating with the exterior of the pack 100 and configured forintroducing air in the inner volume of the pack 100 (see for exampleFIG. 5) in order to obtain a good foaming during the dissolution of thepowder product comprised inside the container 20.

The insert 10 is preferably rigid and is made of a rigid plasticmaterial, preferably by injection moulding. Typically, this plasticmaterial can be selected from the following: polypropylene,polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polylactic acid. Alsoaccording to a less preferred embodiment the fitment assembly 10 can bemade of a metal like aluminium or tin-plate.

The insert of the invention is structurally configured to create anadequate water jet 50 and air into the volume of the container in orderto control and stabilize foaming of the product beverage produced.Typically, the product inside the container is a soluble powder thatwill be dissolved by the water jet 50. In addition, as air will beintroduced inside the volume of the pack through the air inlet 150, aproper foaming of the product will be also achieved.

The pack of the invention can be configured as a sachet, for example, byflexible films or sheets folded to conform a container 20. Otherconfigurations are also possible, for example configuring the containeras a capsule, as a pod or the like. Preferably, the insert 10 will be apart comprising the fluid inlet 110, though other configurations arealso possible where the fluid inlet 110 is for example directly made bypiercing the material configuring the walls of the container 20 (beingthe container a pouch, a capsule, a pod, or the like).

Preferably, the pack 100 of the invention will comprise two flexiblewater impermeable sheets joined to one another to define the innervolume of the pack or of the container 20, where the product (typicallypowder) is stored and is further processed with the water jet 50 toprepare the beverage dispensed. The pack further comprises a beverageoutlet 160 through which the beverage is delivered as a free flow. Thereare several possibilities of providing the beverage outlet 160 in thepack 100, one of them being a straight tube oriented essentiallyvertically at the bottom of the pack, provided in the insert 10, asrepresented in FIG. 2. Another possibility is that the outlet 160 is notarranged in the insert 10 (see FIG. 3) but directly in the container 20,configured to open in a certain pre-defined area to allow dispensing ofthe food or beverage prepared (typically, when the container 20 is madeby flexible sheet or sheets configuring an inner volume, the sheet(s)will be able to separate from each other under a certain pressure forexample, allowing the exit (dispensing) of the beverage inside.

Preferably, as represented in FIGS. 1a and 1 b, the insert 10 isarranged on one of the sides of the pack 100, and it comprises the fluidinlet 110 and the air inlet 150. It will preferably also comprise thebeverage outlet 160.

Referring to FIGS. 1a and 1 b, a pack 100 according to a possibleembodiment of the invention is disclosed. The pack is configuredcomprising an insert 10 and a container 20, essentially defining avertical plane P, the insert 10 being arranged at the lower side of thepack. The container 20 will comprise inside its volume a product,typically a powder, more specifically a concentrated powder, from which,by adding a liquid (typically water) through the insert 10, as a jet ofliquid, the powder will be dissolved, mixed and homogenized into abeverage. The beverage prepared will be dispensed either through anoutlet 160, configured as a vertical tube as shown in FIG. 2, or throughother outlet means, arranged somewhere else in the pack or for example,as previously explained, though an opening made by separation of thesheets configuring the container 20, this separation happening undercertain controlled pressure conditions; in any of these cases, theinsert 10 will not comprise the beverage outlet, as represented in FIG.3.

FIG. 4 shows a detail of the insert 10 arranged in a pack 100 accordingto the present invention, also showing a fluid inlet 110 through where afluid (typically water) will be introduced inside the pack. According tothe invention, the insert 10 will be further configured in such a waythat it will be able to be accessed frontally and also from the rearside, meaning that the consumer will not have to care on the way how thepack is placed in the machine, as it will be able to be accessed on bothsides, i.e., the pack is made reversible. Looking at FIGS. 2 and 3, itcan be seen that the fluid inlet 110 is made on the two sides (frontaland rear) of the insert 10: in fact, it comprises a substantiallyhorizontal tube going through the transversal section of the insert 10,from one of its sides to the other, allowing it to be accessible throughits two ends. When the container 20 is configured by flexible sheetsalso arranged covering the frontal and rear parts of the insert 10, theinjecting means (not shown) will be configured also as piercing means,able to pierce the sheet over the fluid inlet 110 and after this toinject the fluid. The injection means will be arranged in a particularlocation in the beverage preparation machine so as to pierce and accessthe fluid inlet 110, independently if the pack is positioned on one ofits two sides, as long as it is placed substantially vertically along aplane P.

Preferably, in the pack of the invention, the flexible sheet or sheetsconfiguring the container 20 also overwrap fully the insert 10, exceptfor the part of it being inside and in communication with the innervolume of the container 20. More preferably, there is one flexible sheetarranged overwrapping the whole insert 10, configuring the inner volumeof the container 20 by sealing its ends.

Preferably, the injecting and piercing means are preferably a fluidneedle, called in what follows needle, such that these injecting andpiercing means typically comprise an inner duct or pipe through whichhigh pressure fluid is injected in the fluid inlet 110.

Referring now to FIG. 5, showing a section according to A-A from FIG. 4,it is shown that a pressurized fluid is introduced through a fluid inlet110 in the insert 10 arranged at the lower side of the pack 100. Thepressurized fluid is forced to go through a nozzle 120, having a muchreduced diameter with respect to the section of the fluid inlet 110,which makes that the fluid losses its pressure in favor of speed and soa jet of fluid 50 is created into the inner volume of the container 20.The jet of fluid 50 goes into the inner volume of the container 20through an aspiration inlet 130, which is also communicated to theoutside of the pack with an air inlet 150. Therefore, when the jet offluid 50 is conveyed inside the container at a high speed, air is suckedor aspirated through the open air inlet 150, which thus adds air intothe jet of fluid 50. As this jet has also air incorporated, thedissolution of the product (powder) incorporates these air bubbles aswell, thus providing a very good and accurate foaming.

As explained, the air inlet 150 is connected to an aspiration inlet 130through which the jet 50 enters the inner volume of the pack 100,configured in such a way that air is aspirated through this air inlet150 when the jet 50 is introduced inside the pack, by the speed of thejet coming into the inner volume of the pack. Another possibility isthat the air inlet 150 is connected to external means actively injectingair in the inner volume of the pack 100, for example an air pump or thelike.

Typically, the two possible configurations would be passive airaspiration (by opening the air inlet 150 to the outside so that air isaspirated while the fluid jet 50 enters the inner volume of thecontainer 20) or active air injection by actively injecting air throughthe inlet 150 when an active air pump is connected to this air inlet150.

Further, the air inlet 150 obturation can be regulated in order tocontrol de quantity of air injected through the inlet 150, typicallyfrom no (closing the air inlet 150) to certain foaming (regulating theentrance of air and the opening of the air inlet 150) up to active airpumping (maximum foaming).

FIG. 5 also shows dimensions of the insert 10, of its elements and theirpositioning within the insert and also with respect to the pack 100,influencing the characteristics of the final beverage obtained. Thesedimensions are typically:

-   -   Diameter D₁: it is the diameter of the fluid jet 50    -   Diameter D₂: it is the diameter of the air inlet 150    -   Diameter D₃: it is the diameter of the aspiration inlet 130    -   L₁: it is the relative positioning of the air inlet 150 with        respect to the fluid jet 50 and to the aspiration inlet 130    -   L₂: it is the height of the aspiration inlet 130, measured with        respect to the air inlet 150

Typical dimensions of the above-referred parameters could be thefollowing (these dimensions should just be taken as exemplary and basedon experiences):

-   -   D₁: 0.3-0.6 mm    -   D₂: 0.5-1.0 mm    -   D₃: 1.0-2.0 mm    -   L₁: 3.0 mm    -   L₂: 2.0-7.0 mm

Typically, the relative positioning of the aspiration inlet 130 withrespect to the air inlet 150 (dimensions L₁, L₂), together with thediameter of the air inlet 150 (D₂), define the level of foaming of thefood or beverage prepared. On the other hand, the diameter of the nozzle120 (same as the diameter of the jet 50, dimension D₁) and/or of theaspiration inlet 130 (diameter D₃) define the design of the jet 50 inthe inner volume of the pack.

According to the invention, the fluid inlet 110 can be configured forproviding an orientable high velocity jet into the container 20,preferably at about 90° with respect to the fluid supply provided intothe fluid inlet by the injecting and piercing means, though any otherangle would be possible and comprised within the scope of the presentapplication.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments thereof, many modifications and alternations maybe made by a person having ordinary skill in the art without departingfrom the scope of this invention which is defined by the appendedclaims.

1. Pack for preparing a food or beverage product from one or more foodor beverage ingredients comprising: an insert and a container where theingredient or ingredients are stored; the insert comprising a fluidinlet configured for introducing an aqueous fluid under the form of ajet in the inner volume of the pack; and the insert further comprises anair inlet communicating with the exterior of the pack and configured forintroducing air in the inner volume of the pack.
 2. Pack according toclaim 1 wherein the air inlet is connected to an aspiration inletthrough which the jet enters the inner volume of the pack, configured insuch a way that air is aspirated through the air inlet when the jet isintroduced inside the pack.
 3. Pack according to claim 1 wherein the airinlet is connected to an aspiration inlet through which the jet entersthe inner volume of the pack, the air inlet being connectable toexternal means actively injecting air in the inner volume of the pack.4. Pack according to claim 1 wherein the fluid inlet is configured fortransforming the pressurized fluid introduced by a beverage machine intoa high velocity fluid jet in the inner volume of the pack.
 5. Packaccording to claim 1 wherein the fluid inlet communicates with a nozzlehaving a very restricted diameter with respect to the fluid inlet. 6.Pack according to claim 1, comprising two flexible water impermeablesheets joined to one another to define the inner volume of the pack. 7.Pack according to claim 1, comprising a beverage outlet through whichthe beverage is delivered as a free flow.
 8. Pack according to claim 7wherein the beverage outlet is a straight tube oriented essentiallyvertically at the bottom of the pack.
 9. Pack according to claim 7wherein the insert is arranged on one of the sides of the pack and itcomprises the fluid inlet the air inlet and the beverage outlet. 10.Pack according to claim 1 wherein the container is configured to open ina certain pre-defined area to allow dispensing of the food or beverageprepared.
 11. Pack according to claim 2 wherein the relative positioningof the aspiration inlet with respect to the air inlet, together with thediameter of the air inlet, define the level of foaming of the food orbeverage prepared.
 12. Pack according to claim 2 wherein the diameter ofthe nozzle and/or of the aspiration inlet define the design of the jetin the inner volume of the pack.
 13. Pack according to claim 1 whereinthe food or beverage ingredient is a soluble food or beverageingredient.
 14. Pack according to claim 1 wherein the container isconfigured as a sachet, a capsule or the like.
 15. Pack according toclaim 1 wherein the fluid inlet can be accessed frontally and/or by therear to introduce an aqueous fluid through one or the two sides. 16.Pack according to claim 1 wherein the air inlet obturation can beregulated in order to control the quantity of air injected.
 17. Packaccording to claim 1 presenting a plane shape oriented along a planeessentially vertically oriented during beverage production and the fluidinlet orientates the jet of fluid in a direction comprised in saidplane.
 18. (canceled)